Related to BATNA is a WATNA, the Worst Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement, a concept aimed at reducing the risk of one being too realistic during a negotiation process. constantly changing. How to Learn More: Now that you have read all 5 parts of this series you are well on your way to negotiating success. Connection to Development of Settlement Proposals: In a litigated matter where money is likely to be a component of the negotiation, the specific elements identified as part of the possible outcomes explored in a BATNA/WATNA analysis often serve as the basis for development of settlement proposals. It can also be your trump card to make the deal happen to your advantage. Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement - BATNA: A best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) is the course of action that will be taken by a … where the probability of a $100,000 judgment is only 5%, the expected value of this outcome is .05 x $100,000 = $5,000). Again, the purpose of the analysis is to educate and promote informed decision-making, not to force settlement or impose the mediator's idea of what makes sense. Identify the various negotiation styles and their advantages and disadvantages. From the initiation to actual trial, a new court action can take several months to several years. Mediators can also remind parties that this is a "background" analysis that can be set to the side as parties return to negotiation within the mediation. The parties evaluate these options, formally or informally, to see how well they satisfy their interests. It is free from technicalities of courts, here informal ways are applied in resolving dispute. For example, a win of $100,000 may sound wonderful to a plaintiff until he or she hears that there is only a 5% chance of such a result. Understand basic negotiation principles, including BATNA, WATNA, WAP, and the ZOPA. A simple statement should be sufficient, suggesting that it may be helpful to the parties, at some point in the process, to examine their alternatives outside of mediation so as to compare them to options on the table in the mediation. Or look for our soon-to-be published text book with the same name of Negotiating Success. The form of analysis presented in this outline is somewhat different than that contained in “decision-tree risk analysis” which serves essentially the same function but is usually more complex, breaking the analysis down into key turning points and multiple projections leading to a variety of final results. Like playing hardball, this … If these can be discovered, the mediator may be better able to negotiate on the process with the party or understand why the analysis would not be beneficial in that case. If the mediator believes that the parties would also benefit from hearing a persuasive presentation on possible outcomes by opposing counsel, the analysis can always be reviewed in a subsequent joint session. Many people think that negotiating is difficult and full of underhanded tactics. Bold New Directions specializes in training solutions that build leadership skills, communication skills and resilience at work. From: Jackol, Hong Kong. In this instance, the analysis focuses on the "win" and "lose" outcomes in court. In addition to best and worst case outcomes, it is often helpful to include a mid-case scenario or a “most likely” case scenario that generally falls somewhere within the outer parameters established by the win and lose scenarios. These variables may have a significant impact on costs or the perception of costs. For example, in a personal injury case, decision-tree analysis might look at the separate probabilities for establishing each of the legal elements involved (duty, breach, causation and damages) in order to reach an overall probability for win or loss with the expected values for those outcomes in light of the assigned probabilities. Mediators who can help parties to perform a high quality and comprehensible alternatives analysis will often improve negotiation strategy significantly. Mediators should, nevertheless, seek permission to share any information gained during the analysis that they believe will help the parties to better understand the case and the other party. What are the best (“BATNA”) and worst (“WATNA”) possible outcomes along a particular path if I try to get my interests satisfied in a way that does not require negotiation with the other party? The alternative that best meets your interests is called your BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement).Understanding these concepts and how to utilize their power in negotiations will help you reach more satisfying outcomes in your negotiations. And show the advantage of having it; What are the skills that an engineer needs to master to become an effective negotiator? The analysis assists the parties in deciding if a particular resolution is in their best interests or not. If Neighbor A decided to pursue the pressure campaign described above, and Neighbor B was considering alternatives to negotiation, one path he/she might consider would be “do nothing and hope it goes away.”, Initial Presentation of Analysis Within a Mediation. If your WATNA is weak, you may be less concerned about the concessions you have to … It is important to assign probabilities to the different predicted outcomes or an estimated range of probability if counsel is wary of being too specific. Advantages of Alternative Dispute Resolution. The purpose of the analysis is to help parties make informed decisions about possible options for resolution or a deal. Or some insurance companies may routinely refuse to settle certain cases beyond certain amounts because they are following standard procedures that they believe serve them well overall, and they are willing and able to bear the costs involved in continued litigation. Posted Feb 17, 2014 Thus … If this is not possible, the mediator may try to guide the parties through the analysis, but few parties will have the legal expertise necessary to make reasonable predictions about litigation outcomes. In that case, the focus of the analysis shifts completely from theoretically possible legal outcomes to one party’s actual resources and the value that the party places on avoiding bankruptcy. In either case, parties should be reminded that the BATNA/WATNA analysis is a “backdrop” analysis for the negotiation and that they are free to settle their dispute in any mutually agreeable fashion, perhaps completely unrelated to the outcomes possible along alternative paths. When BATNA/WATNA analysis is almost inevitable, as in cases already in litigation, it is a good idea to ask attorneys to prepare and discuss the analysis with their clients prior to the mediation. When suggesting development of BATNA/WATNA analyses or review of previously prepared analyses, mediators should keep in mind the purpose discussed above and, in fact, share this purpose with the parties. Mediation - speak freely, listen, understand, then problem solve, Legal Problems between Business Partners Can be Resolved with Mediation Tools in Costa Rica, Court urges family to make efforts to mediate in dispute over hotel business, EEOC Announces Extension of Act Mediation Pilot, Clear Space, theater complex opponents enter into mediation, Moving America forward: lessons from the mediation table, Seven Steps for Effective Problem Solving in the Workplace, Are You Really Ready for Divorce? Read on to learn about the WATNA as it relates to the sale of a house. Why Is BATNA Important. And the organization must keep a close at its environment via environmental scanning. You and your colleagues […], Copyright © 2021 Bold New Directions. Advantages of this approach are that the analysis may be more thoughtful given more time to prepare and the clients have had more time to absorb the implications prior to the mediation. 4) Bargaining and problem solving 5) Closure and implementation Preparing and Planning. The format presented here may be more “user-friendly” for mediators, parties and attorneys in the average case. This is a damages-based analysis. Mediation is a less formal and significantly quicker way to resolve a dispute. The determination will depend on the type of claim, for example, if the case is for breach of contract, for personal injury, for … They may, however, be willing to pay an amount that is within their abilities and seems reasonable to them based upon their desire to avoid bankruptcy. BATNA means “ Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement.” This is your alternate plan when the talks start to wobble out of control. This can help reduce the potentially distracting effect of extreme win and lose parameters. Harassment campaign is wearing on Neighbor A (it’s not easy making all those calls…). In their seminal book, Getting to Yes, published in 1981, Harvard Professor Roger Fischer and Dr. William Ury proposed "principled negotiation" as a third way to approach negotiations.A principled negotiation seeks to divide the emotions of participants from … Many clients underestimate or fail to account for costs when imagining potential best and worst case outcomes, focusing more on “initial results” rather than “final outcomes.” They also tend to overlook the time value of money, forgetting that $100,000 received two or three years from now, has a lesser value when translated into present day dollars. As suggested earlier, BATNA/WATNA analysis can also be less influential where parties simply refuse to give it meaning because they can afford to do so and have other interests that are more important to them. Give three examples; What are the different types of Negotiation? The costs used in the analysis are usually limited to future costs that might be avoided in the event that the mediation or negotiation is successful. The parties may consider some ideas to be favorable or "winning" options and others to be "losing" options, but all are theoretically possible bases for resolution between the parties to the dispute even though some are not realistic or would never be acceptable to both parties. One of the mediator's tasks is to help parties make more realistic assessments of their case to improve decision-making. Other Non-monetary Costs: 2 years in litigationStressTime off for litigation-related activities, Other Non-monetary Costs: 2 years in litigationStressTime off for litigation-related. In particular, one party's assessment of their best case outcome may look quite different from the other party's assessment of their worst case outcome. Of course, many attorneys undertake this analysis prior to mediation or negotiation as part of their own case preparation. The content and use of a BATNA/WATNA analysis will be affected by variables such as contingency fee arrangements, the use of in-house counsel, the involvement of insurance companies, statutory or contractual fee-shifting and the possibility of bankruptcy. 1. "with their eyes wide open"). When the analysis focuses on alternative paths other than litigation, the parties themselves and/or other types of experts or resources may be needed to provide information about possible outcomes. Who Provides the Information for the Analysis: When the analysis focuses on possible litigated outcomes, attorneys are the natural sources of information. BATNA is the best we can hope for if negotiations don't succeed; and WATNA is the worst we can realistically fear. It is almost always helpful to compare possible outcomes along alternative paths to actual proposals on the table in a negotiation before making a decision within the negotiation. The basic formula for the analysis, where money is involved, can be described as "Initial Result" - "Costs" = "Final Outcome." Seeking results from a higher authority within an organization, Seeking new (suppliers, buyers, distributors, employees etc. Question: Can you please explain BATNA to me and tell me how it is useful in negotiating?. Litigation involves a lengthy process of discovery, court pleadings, and court hearings. The exact opposite of this option is the WATNA (worst alternative to a negotiated agreement). This is Let us … Parties may have more than one path they can follow that does not involve negotiation with the other party. It provides negotiating power. 1) Increases negotiating power. Well, that limits your options in the particular negotiation. This article explains the concept of alternatives analysis and presents a method for conducting an analysis with parties in mediation, including many of the considerations that may affect the parties’ perception and use of the analysis. And, always think mutuality-based, win-win as these will deepen relationships so people want to work with you again. For example, an employer may be willing to risk significant losses, at high costs, to maintain a reputation that they do not settle certain types of claims. In our experience, negotiations can be positive, productive and fun. Neighbor A analyzes how Neighbor B may react, from compliance with requests to retaliatory actions. Following this section, is a sample BATNA/WATNA analysis in a real estate sale case using a format that is useful in assessing the litigation alternative. You can learn more about Jim Hornickel and the topic of Negotiations Training at Bold New Directions by visiting the company web site at www.boldnewdirections.com or at our negotiations training site www.negotiationstraininginstitute.com, First Name* It is often most useful to conduct this analysis after information-gathering and exploration of interests and prior to beginning distributive bargaining (i.e. Going to the worst case scenario in your negotiation preparation has a particular benefit: you might reconsider your bottom line. And show the advantage of having it. Plaintiff proves seller was aware of and failed to reveal these problems with the property, and must reimburse for damages. The tone and confidence of the mediator in presenting this tool are usually significant to acceptance. They may be more concerned about the mediator sharing their worst case scenario and any costs involved on their side (best or worst case) but this information is often less helpful as leverage. It is always in a flux, i.e. Advantages of this approach are that the analysis may be more thoughtful given more time to prepare and the clients have had more time to absorb the implications prior to the mediation. The parties are making their choices having considered and with full knowledge of these probable alternative outcomes (i.e. However, there are many other elements that can be included such as service hours, warranties, extras, delivery times, percentages… Be creative! Mediation comes to the rescue. Any outcome, best or worst case, has costs. However, other alternative paths that might exist could include: Each of these alternative paths has its' own best and worst outcomes. Advantages of this approach are that the analysis may be more thoughtful given more time to prepare and the clients have had more time to absorb the implications prior to the mediation. Avoiding a WATNA when calculating your BATNA. Parties will often give the mediator permission to share with the other party their best case prediction when they understand that it gives the mediator leverage to move the other party in their direction towards settlement. The exercise highlights the existence of other interests, beyond "business" sense, that are driving the party. Advantages of this approach are that the analysis may be more thoughtful given more time to prepare and the clients have had more time to absorb the implications prior to the mediation. Neighbor A’s reputation suffers because other neighbors hear about Neighbor A’s behavior. Q & A Table of Contents. "Mediate.com is very resourceful and useful in this field. By Brad Spangler July 2012 (Original publication date June 2003; reviewed and updated in July 2012 by Heidi Burgess) What BATNAs Are BATNA is a term coined by Roger Fisher and William Ury in their 1981 bestseller, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Without Giving In. In other words, what are my "win" and "lose" scenarios along any given alternative path, and how likely are these outcomes or something in between? For example, when purchasing a car, the BATNA might be to accept the best deal I can get at a different dealer. Jim leads dynamic workshops that help professionals grow their negotiation skills. The environment of a business is extremely dynamic in nature. This attorney may be reluctant to disclose this fact (and it may be best not to do so) but the mediator may want to explore with the attorney whether it would actually be helpful for the other party to understand that they have less leverage than they think if they are assuming incorrectly that the costs of litigation are mounting for both parties, with both parties sharing the same types of costs in going forward. If parties feel pressured or fear that it will be used as a hammer against them, or shared inappropriately with the other party, they will naturally resist. Less time consuming: people resolve their dispute in short period as compared to courts; Cost effective method: it saves lot of money if one undergoes in litigation process. Email* Complete loss of relationship as neighbors, Need to deal with dog poop and other issues, Stress of self-control in light of provocation, Stress of enduring harassment campaign while it endures, No good neighbor relationship with Neighbor A, Serious psychological trauma suffered by children, Expense of tree removal and efforts in any proceedings to fight required removal, Loss of relationships with other neighbors. When parties, experts or attorneys provide estimates regarding the probability of particular best, worst and mid-case outcomes, it is usually helpful to inquire about the basis for these estimates. WATNA is a very helpful tool to consider prior to entering into any negotiation as it helps you have more clarity and negotiation success. Ideally, they have the litigation experience and knowledge of the venue in which they operate to be able to provide "expert" information about possible best and worst outcomes. In a non-litigated matter, the mediator should lead the parties in a thoughtful analysis of their reasons for believing that a particular outcome is more or less likely. Mediators should also keep in mind that they may have different values, risk tolerance levels and approaches to decision-making than the parties and take care to respect those differences. Analysis of internal business environment helps to identify strength of the firm. Neighbor B is upset by the “harassment” and has no interest in a supportive, “good neighbor” relationship, but does not retaliate. This five part series uncovers the value of key elements in the negotiations process – specifically the negotiations range. In this video, Professor Guhan Subramanian discusses a real world example of how seating arrangements can influence a negotiator’s success. But defendant has different estimates for some damages. For example, a mediator may discover during BATNA/WATNA analysis that the attorney for one of the parties is serving on a contingency fee basis. What are the three types of negotiation behavior? Having a BATNA increases your negotiating power and brings to a consensus which is more in favor of the party holding BATNA. For example, parties with weak BATNAs or highly undesirable WATNAs may want to take care not to burn any bridges and/or prepare to minimize the damage this information may cause if known by the other party. Even when attorneys have refused to share their own thinking with the mediator, the mediator may gain helpful information by sharing their own or the other party's estimate of a range of possible outcomes and noting how the attorneys react or correct them. However, when first drawing out the analysis, the mediator may find it more effective to accept a party or attorney's estimations for possible best and worst outcomes. They do not need to conclusively determine what would happen court or along another alternative path during the mediation, but rather get a clearer sense of probable outcomes as possible reference points for their negotiations. |, Improve Presentation Skills With Solutions For Audience, Virtual Training Grows Skills Needed During COVID 19. Whether or not a good BATNA exists or can be developed, parties are well advised to enter negotiations with accurate information about possible alternative outcomes because this gives them a better sense of how to manage the negotiation. In some circumstances, however, a case is clearly “all or nothing” and development of a mid-case scenario does not apply. Desire for Leverage: Developing a BATNA/WATNA analysis will ensure that a party has an idea of … In some cases, a party will reject a proposed resolution even though the probable alternatives are clearly less attractive in a "business" sense. At Bold New Directions, we are known for our interactive training programs that allow breakout groups, small discussions and learning partners. Secret Skill of Crisis & Hostage Negotiators: Slow Down! Using negotiation lingo, alternatives are what you could do to meet your interests if you walked away from the current negotiation. The reason to consider carefully whether or not to inject BATNA/WATNA analysis in this context is that, by its nature, the analysis can seem negative or threatening and may inject an undesired tone into a negotiation that is proceeding amicably. If the mediator provides the information for the analysis (assuming that the mediator is competent to do so), the mediator risks losing neutrality and/or the appearance of neutrality. Simply part of their overhead is clearly “ all or nothing ” and development of a house via environmental.! 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